


Charging into the Valo-Kas

by Direga



Series: The Iron Bull Adventures [2]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Before Inquisition, Fluff, M/M, Not Beta Read, Past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-13
Updated: 2015-06-13
Packaged: 2018-04-04 07:08:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4129239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Direga/pseuds/Direga
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before the events that led to the conclave and the creation of the Inquisition, the Valo-Kas find whom they later come to know is the leader of the Bull's Chargers, another mercenary company, half dead and decide to help him.<br/>Written in Bull's PoV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Charging into the Valo-Kas

**Author's Note:**

> Soooooooo, I had an idea. The Valo-Kas and the Bull's Chargers are two mercenary companies operating in the same region of Thedas. How unlikely is that they never crossed paths? And boom, this fic was written.  
> I took some liberties with the Valo-Kas, but tried to remain true where I could.
> 
> Edit: corrected some errors.

Bull jerked awake, trying to get up and fight, but his attempt was cut short even before he lifted his head by the searing pain that he felt on his chest, failing to prevent a scream from escaping his mouth while his head fell back down into the pillow. _Pillow?_ Bull thought after the pain subsided somewhat… something isn’t right.

He turned his head as much as he could to look around. He was in a tent, the flaps of which were closed preventing him from seeing outside, but other that he appeared to be stretched on a bedroll. He could also smell the scent of someone he didn’t know, who probably had sat on the chair that he found next to him. There was also a small table at arm’s reach, which held medical supplies.

He tried to remember what had happened, but he only remembered doing a job where he and his Chargers had to split. Something must have gone wrong somewhere along the way. Checking himself he noticed that he had a lot of bandages on his torso. He must have been saved, but by whom? He heard steps outside, his earlier scream being indication enough that he was awake. However, he was not prepared to see who had been taking care of him.

Pulling a flap of the tent up, he looked directly at another man of his race. Bull tensed immediately, only to feel pain spread through him again, but this time he managed to endure it. The other man looked at him and smiled, saying “You should lie down and rest, your wounds were quite severe”. He walked into the tent and sat next to him, checking the bandages for any sign of blood. He didn’t seem to be a bad person, but Bull had to ask.

“Qunari or Tal-Vashoth?” Bull kept a neutral voice and face, trying to not bring any hostile reaction from the other man.

“Neither. I’m Vashoth, and my name is Kaaras Adaar, by the way” He said, after he finished checking the bandages. Then he continued. “You’re in a Tal-Vashoth mercenary camp, though. My companions are all Tal-Vashoth”.

Bull could not stop the tension he felt from getting stronger. _This isn’t right! Tal-Vashoth are savages, it isn’t possible that they would try to save a Qunari, even if they think I’m Tal-Vashoth._ He thought, trying to keep the tension low but the way Adaar looked at him was enough to let him know he noticed the slip.

“You’re Qunari then”, Adaar said. Bull noticed the flash of anger that passed through his face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. “If you don’t attack anyone here we promise to help you and let you go as soon as you feel recovered”, Adaar added.

“You’re lying. Tal-Vashoth are savages that only kill for pleasure! Why would you help a Qunari like me?” He said angrily, barely louder than a whisper. He knew well enough to not shout that in the middle of a Tal-Vashoth camp, but Adaar seemed reasonable since he was not one of them. Almost, but he did not turn away from the Qun.

“Calm down. We assumed you were Qunari from the start, that’s why I’m the one here and not someone else. Let me tell you one thing though” He said, his voice getting some heat towards the end, which was still present when he continued.

“Not all Tal-Vashoth are mindless savages that kill for sport. Those must be stopped, in that we agree, but WE are not THEM!” He finished, looking intently at Bull. He could see that he believed in what he had just said. _Tal-Vashoth killing Tal-Vashoth,_ the thoughtwas alien for him, but they did not kill him outright he was found. Maybe they deserved the benefit of the doubt. He frowned then, thinking if any of the Tal-Vashoth he had killed before was like them. He hoped not, he could see himself work with this man if those are his beliefs. He knew the Qun would never see it that way, though.

“Why help me though? I would probably have killed you on sight” Bull confessed. It was nothing that Adaar didn’t already know.

“Do we need a reason to help someone in need?” Adaar answered, shrugging.

Bull was still doubtful, but he allowed himself to relax into the bed. Adaar seemed to sense the change and his face softened. Then Bull remembered something Adaar said moments ago.

“How is me being a Qunari related to you, in particular, being here?“ Bull asked him. Adaar raised an eyebrow, and then frowned. He was clearly considering if he should answer. Then he gave a sigh and said, “It’s best if you can trust us. The first reason is that I’m Vashoth, we thought that it would make the initial conversation easier in case you were Qunari.” Bull nodded in response, it did in fact help. “The second reason is because I’m what you call a Saarebas”.

Bull noticed that Adaar was tensed, preparing for a reaction. Bull laughed, extracting a confused look from Adaar. “That’s good, being careful is always good. Don’t worry, I’m used to being with a Saaberas.” Adaar looked at him with a raised eyebrow, clearly not buying it. He had just opened it mouth to question when Bull’s stomach made a grumbling noise. Adaar closed his mouth and shook his head, dropping the subject for now.

“I’ll get something for you to eat and drink. We can talk more after you’ve rested a bit”. Adaar said. Bull was sure he wanted to share his knowledge with the other mercenaries. He was also pleased with the prospect of rest. Even if he didn’t fully trust the mercenaries, if they wanted him dead they wouldn’t have helped him to begin with and there was nothing he could do anyways, since he couldn’t move.

Adaar got up to leave, however Bull remembered that he still hadn’t introduced himself. “The Iron Bull” he stated. Adaar paused at the exit and looked at him, confusion across his face. “My name. It’s The Iron Bull” he clarified. Adaar smiled and said, before leaving, “I’ll be right back then, The Iron Bull”.

* * *

Bull awoke again, this time recognizing the tent and the situation he was in much more silently. However, Adaar was reading next to him, noticing almost immediately that he was awake.

“Good morning, Bull.” Adaar said, cheerfully.

“It’s The Iron Bull” Bull stated deadpan. He was happy to note that the pain in his chest wasn’t so severe has last time. Also, did he say it was morning? There’s no way he would have slept from the middle of the day until morning, and he was healing a bit too fast… “You are using magic on me, aren’t you?” He asked with a mix of anger and accusation in his voice.

“Healing magic, yes. I’m quite proficient at it. I’m sorry, I should have told you yesterday. If you don’t want me to continue I’ll stop, I just thought you would like to recover as soon as possible”. Adaar said, closing his book and looking at him.

“I don’t mind magic in general, I just don’t like to have it used on me. And you’re right, I would like to recover fast.” Bull said, and noticing the bedroll on the floor asked, “Did you stay with me during the night?”

“Yeah, some of the mercenaries are not happy with having a Qunari here. They wouldn’t hurt you obviously, but they can think of ways to… intimidate you. I just want to avoid unnecessary fights.” Adaar stated, checking his bandages. Bull noticed a slight flush on his face while he touched him. Maybe he could use that to his advantage later.

Suddenly, the flap of the tent went up and a female Tal-Vashoth walked in. Adaar looked at her, saying “Good morning Shok”. Bull tensed instinctively, but forced himself to relax again. Then Adaar looked at Bull, introducing her, “Bull, this is Shokrakar, the leader of the Valo-Kas mercenary company”.

“Nice to meet you, The Iron Bull. You can call me Shok for short.” She said, with a soft voice.

“Thank you for using the full name, but you can call me just Bull. Someone here can’t seem to be capable of saying it, so might as well go with the flow.” Bull said with a smile. Adaar looked at him with annoyance and Shokrakar laughed.

“Oh, I think we will get along just fine” Shok said, still smiling from the laugh. “We haven’t had much time to talk about what happened, as I wanted you to feel more comfortable with your situation first. Do you feel capable?” She asked, receiving a nod from Bull. “Perfect”, she added. She reached outside the tent and pulled a chair, sitting on it.

“Let’s start with the obvious then. Why was a Qunari in the middle of the forest half dead?” She asked, with a more serious look. Direct to the point, he could see why she was the leader.

Bull looked at Adaar, half expecting him to threaten him with magic to answer. Instead he just said, “You’re not forced to answer, we just want to understand what happened and help you if possible”.

“I expect you will want something for helping me?” Bull asked.

“We can discuss that later” Shok said.

Bull sighed. The night’s rest had helped him settle his thoughts and memories, finding it much easier to recall everything this time around. Well, at least until his memories stopped when he was knocked out cold. “Alright, fine. I guess I should answer for your hospitality.” He said, adjusting himself on the bed for a more comfortable spot.

“First of all, I must admit that I’ve a mercenary company of my own. They should be waiting for me at our camp, so if you could send a messenger I would be grateful, as I don’t want to make them worry”. Bull stated, looking at Adaar and Shok in turn. They seemed surprised.

“I didn’t expect you to have a mercenary company, although I admit it is a very good disguise for a Qunari” Shok said, omitting the fact that the way Bull seemed concerned showed her that they weren’t just a disguise. “Any other Qunari in the group we should be aware of? I don’t want to send any of my men to their death because they saw a _savage_ Tal-Vashoth”.

Bull kept his face neutral but it softened as he talked about the Chargers, “No, they are all just a bunch of misfits; elves, dwarfs and humans, either cast aside by others or were being mistreated”.

“That’s… interesting. Where is this camp of yours?” She asks him, curiosity shown on her face.

“Just twenty minutes south of Halamshiral, where we had our latest job”. Bull replied.

Shok nodded. “We’re just outside of Lydes, so a messenger could get there in a couple of days. I’ll see that someone is sent tomorrow, I think we can spare a pair of horns”.

“Thank you, for everything”, and he meant it. He could be many things, but ungrateful is not one of them. They have shown their goodwill and he would repay in turn.

“Now, do you want to talk about what happened?” Shok asked softly. “We have time later if you’re not feeling up to it” Adaar added, eyeing him for any sign of pain.

“I’m fine” Bull said, and then he prepared himself for a bit of talking.

“We went to Halamshiral in search of a job to do, as I had some other Qun related orders to carry there. Apparently a couple from a small noble house had lost their son to a slaver. Captured while he went to gather herbs or something, apparently he was interested in studying them. Anyway, we got the job.” Bull said. Shok and Adaar just nodded him to continue.

 “Since I am a Ben-Hassrath, I found out quite easily where they held the boy after infiltrating a slaver network operating in Lydes. Apparently, the right words and being in the right place at the right time allows you to know pretty much anything, go figure. The boy was going to be transferred to Tevinter in a week, so I sent a message to the Bull’s Chargers, my mercenary company, to come to Lydes. They had stayed back in Halamshiral to keep contact with the couple, just in case the oy reappeared or a ransom was demanded”. Shok and Adaar traded a glance at each other at the revelation that he was a spy.

“You’re a Qunari spy and you just told us?” Adaar asked, incredulous.

“Hey, it’s not like I’m here to spy on you” He said, shrugging.

“You never know what tomorrow may bring, but enough of that, please finish the story.” Adaar declared.

Bull made a low laughing sound, and continued. “Long story short, when my Chargers arrived we discussed a good spot for an ambush along the road to Tevinter. I was going to follow the transportation of the slaves from a distance, but they were ambushed by elves, a mere 10 minutes from Lydes. The slavers seemed to want to kill the slaves as they defended against the elves, so I intervened, which apparently proved to be a stupid idea. In the middle of the fight I was knocked out unconscious, probably by a spell from one of the elves, and I don’t remember much else.” Bull finished.

“You said the Chargers came to Lydes, but that they would wait for you in Halamshiral?” Shok asked.

“Yeah. We have an agreement that if anyone ever got separated from the group to wait at the place we got the job. That’s normally coincident with where we do the job, I guess I should change the rule next time.” Bull said, thoughtful.

“We found you in the forest near the road north of Lydes, as you said. The spell must have sent you flying there. There were no signs of slaves, the slavers or the elves, though. The caravan was still there, and the cages open, so I’m inclined to think the slaves escaped. If the slaves escaped I don’t think that what you did was a stupid idea, you have my respect.” Adaar said, trying to reassure him, while Shok nodded. Bull smiled at them in appreciation.

“You get some rest, Adaar will take care of you. If you need anything just ask him. Or if you’d prefer a woman, it can be arranged.” Shok said winking, leaving the tent after Bull laughed and assured that it wouldn’t be needed. Adaar seemed to like looking at him, in more ways than one. One shouldn’t get in the way, he thought with an inward grin.

“You have a mage in the Chargers don’t you?” Adaar asked, remembering how Bull had said he was used to be with a bas-saarebas.

“Yeah, although she would say that she is not one, but an archer. And that the staff is, in fact, a bow”. Adaar outright laughed, and Bull grinned. Yeah, he could get used to like them. Another thing he had to note that the Qun was not right about.

“I’ll get something for you to eat. If you want to clean yourself and you feel like you can walk there’s a river nearby, although I would suggest waiting a couple more days, just in case. I can keep you clean in the meantime”. Bull smiled and leaned back unto the bed while Adaar went to fetch him some food. Oh he would take a bath soon enough. He would even try something with Adaar, but his condition would make that difficult.

* * *

The next couple of days were spent pretty much talking to Adaar. In one of their conversations Bull asked Adaar how it was to be a Vashoth. Adaar seemed completely surprised by his interest. Bull had watched him as he did his healing sessions and he had never seen a non-Qunari mage with such control over his magic before, which actually interested him.

“My father was an Arvaarad when he was with the Qun. He taught me how to control it. My mother was a Tamassran. Even though they left the Qun they never really disconnected from it. They didn’t leash me when I came out as Saarebas, but they still taught me the structure of the Qun and even how to speak Qunlat”. Adaar said.

Bull could understand that, the wish to not fully disconnect from the Qun. Maybe that’s what separates the savage Tal-Vashoth from the others like the Valo-Kas.  “What do you think of the Qun, then?” he asked curiously.

Adaar eyes went dark for a moment. Bull had touched a sore topic. He was about to dismiss the question when Adaar answered. “I think its base is sound, but then it has some ideals that make it flawed. How it expects any Tal-Vashoth to be considered a savage monster that needs to be re-educated or put down is just…” Adaar sighed, “Most Tal-Vashoth has never known anything besides the Qun. Losing it can be devastating. Maddening even, to most. Those are the Tal-Vashoth the Qun refers to and the ones it only acknowledges.” Adaar looked to the side as he spoke, shaking his head and continuing.

“The practicality is impressive, though, as nothing is ever wasted. However, not allowing any true relationships to be built is something that I think shouldn’t be denied to anyone. One such relationship doesn’t prevent someone from performing their role, and I think there would be a lot less Tal-Vashoth if it was allowed”.

Bull regarded Adaar carefully. He could almost agree with what he had said. “There would be a lot more children though, not only it would strain the food supplies but it would be harder to keep track of every child ancestry as well”.

“True, the children could become a problem, but a real relationship doesn’t require a child for it to be successful and there are ways to prevent pregnancy, which would help with keeping the complete ancestry of every Qunari. Another thing about the Qunari ancestry, it is only needed for the breeding programs, to which I do see the benefit, even if I don’t agree with it”, Adaar stated.

Bull had to concede to the objective way Adaar looked at the issue, and he couldn’t stop thinking that some arguments had made a point. The Qun was good in some regards, but it was not perfect, he had to concede. _Again_. He could feel his own re-education after Seheron losing some of its effects. It had been for some time now. He just nodded at Adaar.

Later that day Bull felt strong enough to have a meal with the rest of the Valo-Kas, something that Adaar had suggested. He said that the rest of the Valo-Kas seemed to accept him quite well after his conversation with Shok, and learning more about the Tal-Vashoth culture could be interesting.

Bull agreed and Adaar helped him to move outside the tent. Bull was thankful that Adaar was able to clean him with magic, but he had said that is was not good doing it for many days straight. He didn’t ask why, but he had the itch to bathe in the nearby river the next day if possible.

Everyone was already eating around the fire. He recognized several of the faces, some had gone to keep an eye on him when Adaar couldn’t and others just placed their heads inside the tent to throw a joke his way. Some cheered and they saw him, others just nodded. A female Tal-Vashoth he didn’t recognize didn’t even lift her head.

“You already know Shok, Iron-Ass and Kaariss” Adaar said, lifting a hand at them. Bull knew them since they stayed with him in the tent to make him company from time to time. Iron-Ass was Adaar’s old company leader, and apparently a very good friend. Adaar’s word had been sufficient to make him like Bull. He had told Bull many stories about the Valo-Kas and his old company, somehow Adaar had always a central role in them. If he did it on purpose he didn’t know, but suspected. Kaariss was a poet, and would read his work to him. Bull wasn’t a fan of poetry, but he had to concede that his work was interesting. It helped that he wrote about battles, sex and drinks.

Then, Adaar introduced the rest of the company “We’re not all here, but this is Ashaad and in the corner with a grumpy face is Katoh”. At that Katoh finally looked from her meal and said “I would appreciate if you didn’t go and tell everyone my name, thank you very much”.

“I love you too, Katoh” Adaar replied, playfully. She just rolled her eyes and went back to eating.

“There are also Sata-Kas and Taarlok. Taarlock is currently dealing with a contract and Sata went to give some support if necessary. Everyone already knows that this is the Iron Bull, but introductions are introductions”. Adaar added with a grin. Bull smiled to him and sat in a free space near the fire, next to Adaar.

They were all unique on their own way, reminding him of his days in Seheron, spent on a camp like the one he found himself into with a bunch of his own brethren. His face must have darkened at the thought, because Adaar placed a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to reality. Then Bull told several stories are the Chargers, some amusing and others downright unbelievable.

The night went on and Adaar ended up helping Bull to his tent. He almost couldn’t believe that Bull was Qunari, the way he interacted with the rest of the company, if not for the fact that he was Ben-Hassrath. He could be faking it, but somehow he doubted it.

* * *

The next day, Bull went to the river to clean himself since he felt strong enough to walk. Adaar followed him, and smiled at the opportunity he had to finally show off. Taking his time to takes his clothes off and flexing at every opportunity, he couldn’t help but hear Adaar moving uncomfortably near the trees, biting his lower lip.

Then he headed into the water, keeping his back to Adaar all the time. Once in the water, he turned to him and he noticed how Adaar kept staring, but then again, who wouldn’t?

“See something you like?” Bull asked him teasingly, with a smirk.

“I’m just making sure you don’t open any wounds” Adaar replied, but the flush in his face betrayed him. _He’s too cute,_ Bull thought.

“Do you mind if I practice a bit of magic while you clean yourself?” Adaar asked, clearly an attempt to take his mind off Bull.

“Sure, just don’t throw lightning at the water” Bull said. In truth it made him a bit nervous, but be felt like he could trust Adaar. Adaar took his shirt off, which Bull approved greatly, and trained ice magic against a tree, so he turned his back at Bull. It seemed Adaar didn’t want to draw attention of the Valo-Kas with lightning, the sharp sound of thunder would probably alert them, and fire was out of the question to use on a tree.

To Bull’s surprise, he trained without a staff. He knew that mages could cast without them, but they would also get tired a lot faster without a medium, using a lot more energy to achieve the same results. He watched as Adaar cast three ice projectiles, all landing on the same spot and shattering the previous one, then he conjured several ice shards around the tree and slammed them against it from all sides. It was very impressive to see. It was also impressive to see the muscles in his back and arms as he conjured magic. That was no mage’s physique, and he was sure that the Valo-Kas also trained him in close combat. Bull finished his bath while watching.

“No staff?” Bull asked, out of the water and just a couple of meters from Adaar.

“Yeah, training without one puts a lot more stress regarding one’s reserve of magic energy, so we can last longer when using one. Actually, I find—“Adaar said until he turned around and gasped at Bull. He was completely naked. Adaar couldn’t help but look away. “Anyway, we should go back, the others—“Adaar started stuttering but was silenced by Bull when he kissed him.

It was a reluctant one at first, but Adaar kissed back soon after, his hands exploring Bull’s back. Bull, on the other hand, pushed Adaar to the tree and slammed one hand on it, while the other went from his upper to his lower back, stopping on his ass. Then he squeezed it, pulling from the kiss. “You are the most perfect thing Adaar, the things I could do to you.” Bull said, lust clear in his voice.

“Bull” Adaar pleaded. “The others will soon come searching for us, we’ve been away for a while”. The worry was clear in Adaar’s voice, maybe even a hint of disappointment.

“We have time tonight, then” Bull said, giving another quick squeeze before heading back and putting his clothes on. Adaar followed suit, unable to hide his blushing, and together went back to the camp.

If someone would have told Bull that he would feel attracted to a Vashoth before this week, he would have laughed on their face, and if they told him it would be a saarebas he would consider them crazy. But there he was, inside a tent in the middle of a Tal-Vashoth mercenary camp, kissing one. It was Adaar’s fault, he had no right to be so caring, skilled, cute in the way be blushed and overall pretty, so perfect. Bull liked pretty things. He knew it couldn’t ever develop to be more than just a one-time thing. The Qun wouldn’t allow it, not that it made much difference this far south. However, he also had his Chargers, and he could not leave them behind.

But for now, he would enjoy the moment. He knew they didn’t have to be particularly quiet, they were in a mercenary camp after all, but he guessed Adaar would appreciate some discretion. However, early on when they came back from the river Shok smiled deviously at them, meaning that probably the entire camp knew that something had happened.

They kissed, continuing from where they left off early in the day, and Bull continued his unstoppable teasing. Leaving bite marks on his neck, pitching his nipples and giving the bare hint of friction on his cock. He would take Adaar apart and put him back together before the night was over. He also gave him a watchword he could use in case it was too much.

Spreading him over with his fingers, he teased Adaar to the point where all coherent thoughts had left him. “Please, Bull please, I need… I… ” Adaar said, during Bull’s ministrations.

“You’re so perfect, all spread for me, so tight.” Bull would keep saying, his mouth close to his ear. The other hand explored Adaar’s body, cataloguing every sensitive spot.

When Bull thought that he was spread enough, only after three fingers, he pulled Adaar up with ease. He still felt some stinging from his chest wounds, but it was small enough that he could ignore. Then he let him slide slowly down his cock. It took every ounce of self-restrain to not thrust it inside Adaar in one quick motion. It had been years since Bull had bedded another of his kind, and the prospect of fully sheathing his cock was going to drive him insane, it had been too long. It was clear that Adaar did have some experience taking other man, but Bull was at another level entirely, so he had to take it slow.

After a while, the slow descent stopped, and Bull was in a state of bliss, feeling his entire cock sheathed inside Adaar. “So tight… so perfect” Bull kept saying. Adaar could only moan at this point.

“What do you want me to do, Adaar? Use words” Bull asked in a low voice, lust all over his face, still teasing Adaar’s hardness with his hands.

“I… I want…”

“Yes? What do you want?”

“I want you to fuck me. Please! Bull!”

 _Shit_ , Adaar pleasing went straight to his groin. He started fucking Adaar, biting his neck lightly, but enough to leave a mark, slowly at first, but he quickly gained speed. Adaar bit his lower lip and moaned freely. “Bull I can’t… I will… I’m going to… fuck” Adaar said, his voice hoarse.

“Cum for me Adaar” Bull said, using his hand to stroke Adaar furiously. Adaar came, hard. He quite literally screamed when he came, head thrown back. His ass tightened even more around Bull’s cock.

“Fuck.” Bull managed to say, before he also closed his eye and pulled his head back, poking two holes with his horns on the bedroll, and then he came inside Adaar.

After they descended from their high induced state, Adaar lay on top of him, careful to not put pressure on the wounds, and touched Bull’s forehead with his. “That was the most amazing thing ever. Too bad you can’t stay here with me”.

“Yeah, I guess I could have grown accustomed to this. You really are perfect, Adaar” Bull replied.

Soon after Adaar stood up, grabbed a wet towel and cleaned them both. Bull was usually the one who did the aftercare, but tonight he would make an exception. “Do you want to spend the night with me?” he asked.

Adaar raised an eyebrow at him. It was not usual to spend the night with others, but he agreed that the only times he did with the other mercenaries it did feel good. Since the messenger that went to fetch the Chargers was expected to arrive the next day, he thought that it wouldn’t hurt. “Sure” Adaar replied.

He slipped inside the bedroll, and Bull pulled him to his chest, keeping an arm around him. It made Adaar feel safe and Bull knew it. “I think I will miss you a lot Bull” Adaar said, after a while.

“Yeah” Bull added. _Me too_ , he almost said. Although he thought Adaar could feel the implied words.  

* * *

The fifth day arrived, and with it came the messenger that had left to inform the Chargers of his whereabouts. Bull was pleased to see that they were coming was well. All the Valo-Kas present at the camp assembled to welcome them.

Once they were there, The Iron Bull walked up to them gave some witty remarks to them about their vacation coming to an end. All his men (and women) grinned at him, relief clear on their eyes. Then he turned around and introduced them.

Of all the chargers, Adaar has most shocked about his lieutenant, Krem. A Tevinter! He was a soporati, true, but a _vint,_ like Bull called him, nonetheless. He was even more surprised when Krem told him that it was because of him that Bull had lost his left eye, even before he knew him. The Chargers seemed to be a very capable company, and all of them respected Bull. When he introduced Dalish, Adaar asked if she was the company’s mage he had heard about, to which he replied immediately that she was an archer. Adaar laughed to the knowledge that Bull hadn’t been kidding.

Bull asked what had happened after the job went south and Krem replied that they waited for the caravan but that it never came. They waited the whole day, considering that there must have been some delay, before they decided something went wrong and went to investigate. When they found the caravan no one was nearby, and they searched the surrounding forests. The Valo-Kas had probably already moved Bull in the meantime.

After the initial conversation they all sat around drinking. Bull went around talking to his Chargers, laughing at some jokes, before sitting next to Krem who was talking to Adaar.

“You two seem to get along well” Bull said, looking a lot more relaxed than Adaar had ever seen.

“Well, Adaar was just telling me about your stay here. I must confess that I didn’t expect a Tal-Vashoth camp to still be standing. Are you losing your edge Chief?” Krem teased. Both Bull and Adaar laughed.

“You could say I didn’t keep every Tal-Vashoth standing up while I was here. Or at least the Vashoth over here”. Bull said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Adaar blushed heavily at that. “Bull, you ass!” Adaar said, looking away. Krem had his mouth agape. “Not even a Vashoth is safe chief… you sure know how to pick them” and then he laughed.

A couple of hours passed and Bull stood, calling his Chargers, saying “Horns Up!” They all assembled in front of him within seconds. Then Bull addressed Shokrakar, “It was an honour to meet such an amazing company, I hope we find each other in the future. Here” Bull handed Shok a sack with some gold. “It should be enough to replace any medical supplies and resources you spent with me, as well as to thank you for the time and hospitality”. Bull looked at Adaar and, did he just wink? It looked ridiculous with just one eye. Adaar gave him a smile.

“This is a lot more than what we spent on you, we—“ Shok started saying, but Bull interrupted “Please, just accept it. You took a huge risk considering I am a Qunari”.

“Very well, I hope we find you well in the future and not half dead” Shok said, smiling at him.

“That would be better, yes” Bull replied.

Adaar remembered the way he treated his Chargers earlier. That was way beyond what the Qun would allow. Then understanding dawned on him as to why Bull had adapted so well to the Valo-Kas, he has been acting like a Tal-Vashoth, probably for years. Bull turned to bid the Valo-Kas farewell, and when he turned to Adaar he put a hand on his shoulder “I really hope we meet again Adaar”.

“Me too” Adaar said, and then looked at the Chargers one more time before whispering to Bull with a heavy face, “You do know that one day you will have to choose, Bull”.

Bull froze, knowing full well what he was referring to. He also glanced at his Chargers before looking back at Adaar. His relationship with the Chargers was something that the Qun frowned upon. “I know”, he answered, uncertainty in his voice. Adaar knew he wasn’t uncertain if the choice would come, but rather what he would choose.

“If you’re ever in need of a helping hand, you can know that you have a friend in me to help you”, Adaar said with a smile. Bull squeezed his shoulder. “Thank you” he replied, turning back, heading towards the Chargers that awaited him and left.

Little did he know, as he left with the Chargers, that it would be Adaar who would force him to make the fateful decision just a couple of years later, and that he would keep his promise to help him through it.


End file.
